Sometimes I get text and other times I don't. It is OK now and I did nothing to fix it.
I don't clear my history because I like it and it stores my logon names and passwords.
Sorry, I used the wrong terminology. In most browsers you can specify to only delete the cached files (called Temporary Internet Files).
For future reference IE8 has this feature under Tools > Internet Options > General Tab. Click Delete and make sure only the Temporary Internet Files check box is checked (below the line).